UZBEKISTAN: CUSTOMS REQUESTS TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT

C O N F I D E N T I A L TASHKENT 001218

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/CEN, EXBS FOR J. HARTSHORN

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/21/2018
TAGS: PBTS ASEC PREL UZ
SUBJECT: UZBEKISTAN: CUSTOMS REQUESTS TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT
FROM THE UNITED STATES

REF: A. TASHKENT 1193

B. TASHKENT 518

C. TASHKENT 661

Classified By: Poloff Steven Prohaska for reasons 1.4 (b, d).


1. (C) Summary: On September 30, Poloff and Deskoff met with
Customs representatives who described the agency's priorities
and expressed appreciation for U.S.-provided border security
assistance. Customs appears to be particularly interested in
receiving additional technical equipment that would help it
to detect narcotics and radioactive materials.
Interestingly, Customs now appears to be providing training
opportunities to counterparts in other countries in the
region, including Afghanistan. End summary.

Customs Outlines Priorities
--------------


2. (C) On September 30, Poloff and Deskoff met with several
officials from Uzbekistan's State Customs Committee,
including Col. Sharifjon Karimovich Egenberdiev, Chief of the
Main Department for Counter-Smuggling, and Bakhodir Yunusov,
Chief of the International Cooperation Department.
Egenberdiev said that Customs' priorities include combating
the smuggling of narcotics and weapons; reacting to threats
in a timely fashion; ensuring the security of Uzbekistan's
borders; improving the technological sophistication of
Customs, particularly with regard to information technology;
outfitting border crossing points with modern equipment; and
prohibiting the transit of harmful substances and dual-use
technologies.


3. (C) The Customs officials expressed thanks for roughly 8.7
million USD in assistance from the U.S. between 2001 and
2006, and said that more than 100 Customs officers have
received U.S.-provided countersmuggling training. They were
particularly grateful for U.S.-provided radiation portal
monitors, and noted that Uzbekistan has interdicted
radioactive materials on at least five occasions since 2000
(three on the Uzbekistan-Kazakhstan border and two on the
Uzbekistan-Kyrgyzstan border).

Give Us Modern Equipment
--------------


4. (C) Yunusov asked that the United States consider
providing Customs with additional equipment that would help
it to detect narcotics and radioactive materials, and offered
to send a list of requested equipment to the Embassy if the
U.S. is interested. Yunusov stated that Customs also has
participated in many Asian Development Bank (ADB)-sponsored
seminars recently, but still lacks sufficient equipment at
border crossing points.


5. (C) Egenberdiev said that he himself has visited the
United States, and praised the expertise of U.S.
counterparts. "We also have very smart officers. We've
already received training from the U.S., United Nations, and
other organizations," he said. Echoing Yunusov's sentiments,
he stated that the real priority, however, is acquiring the
equipment necessary to improve Customs' work, but noted that
this is only his personal view. "Training and seminars are
good, of course. But providing technical equipment will
increase the effectiveness of our activity many times."

Providing Training to Neighbors
--------------


6. (C) Egenberdiev proudly remarked that the Higher Military
Customs Institute that opened in 2003 has already graduated
two classes of well-trained officers. Moreover, Customs'
National Canine Training Center has become a regional center
for the World Customs Organization, and has begun training
officials from Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Iran,
Mongolia, and Turkmenistan. (Note: It is interesting to note
that Customs appears to have taken our June suggestion
(reftel C) to provide training to Afghan counterparts on
board.)

Lukewarm View of International Organizations
--------------


7. (C) Yunusov noted that Customs cooperates with the ADB,
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and China's Customs
service, but complained that cooperation with these so far
has largely consisted of talks and negotiations. He
expressed concern about the narcotics situation in
Afghanistan, stating that while these organizations are
thinking, drug traffickers are not waiting. Customs works
with fourteen foreign countries and and participates in eight
international programs under the United Nations Development
Program, Yunusov continued. Customs also has an agreement
with France on precursors control and canine training.

Comment:
--------------


8. (C) While Customs has been appreciative of U.S.-provided
assistance, the remarks of these officials suggest that some
in the Government of Uzbekistan are more enthused about
receiving technical equipment, rather than general training,
from the United States. (Of course, equipment-specific
training would still be necessary for the GOU to utilize the
equipment appropriately.) Several factors could be at play
here. First, given that many organizations and other states
appear to provide more training opportunities than equipment
to Uzbekistan, these officials may be hoping that the United
States can address some of Tashkent's needs that are harder
to fulfill. Second, some might still be afraid of possible
repercussions from being perceived as too pro-Western and
having been "tainted" by exposure to Western
ideals--equipment would thus be a safer way to receive border
security assistance. Third, Customs officials may still be
smarting from an apparent punishment from more powerful
forces in the GOU for directly engaging with the Embassy
(vice through MFA) on a recent International Narcotics and
Law Enforcement training program (reftel A).


9. (C) Some Customs facilities probably are truly
underequipped, as some deliverables from years past have
reached the end of their service lives. In contrast to
several years ago, when Customs officials in Nukus noted that
they had no equipment shortfalls, these officials recently
asked us for additional communications equipment because they
had lost their ability to interact with people in the field.
Other recently requested assistance includes training
specifically geared toward maintenance of an EXBS-provided
van (reftel B).
NORLAND